Page 23 of A Baron of Bonds
Then I would put the Queen in her place. I would force her mouth shut as I told her of my life these past seven years. There would be no trial for Revich of that, I was certain.
“Do not enter the castle like that.” Geyrand looked me up and down, his brows raised and a grimace across his freckled face. “Be careful now. The Queen and the other rulers of Arcaynen have influence and power. You do not. Now, you play the game of politics. If you want to leave for Felgren with Revich, you need to stay calm. If the Queen sees you like this…you know how she gets when she sees your anger.”
He was right, of course. The Queen had always thought of my anger as an annoyance—something Ishouldbe able to control easily but never could.
I was hardly able to think of her as the woman who raised me now. Replaced was the monarch who stood in my way.
I whistled in the chilled air and the lumens peaked their heads from the sable doors. I ignored the red of their eyes and the vines at their throats as their colors and textures turned back to the lumens I knew.
“How far are we from the castle gates?”
“A full day’s ride. We should be there around dusk.”
“How fitting,” I mumbled, thinking of the last time I was within the city walls. I climbed on top of Parvus’s back, giving him his favorite scratches behind his ears.
Geyrand settled himself on the back of Rauca and she whined at me.
“We’re going to see Revich. You’ll get to knock him over soon enough.” She howled into the morning and we were off, the longride ahead. It was one I would face over and over if it meant I would be back with the man I called home.
We stopped twice.Once at another sentry’s cottage to give water to the lumens and eat quickly. Geyrand knew every one of the patrol guards in the grasslands to the north of Hyrithia and this one was in a state of shock at the sight of the lumens.
We stopped again at a small stream that cut through the hills so the lumens could drink and we could replenish our pouches with fresh water. We had been riding for close to nine hours and I knew Parvus and Rauca were reaching their limit. My own back ached and my arms were sore from holding onto Parvus’s fur so tightly.
“We should arrive in another hour. Their stamina is impressive.” Geyrand motioned to the lumens who had curled together on the bank of the creek. Parvus’s head was tucked into Rauca’s chest as she laid her snout on his.
“A lumen’s strength is fueled by Felgren.”
“How long do they live?”
“The oldest of the pack is seventy-one seasons. But time is different in Felgren. I’m not sure how old she is in years here.”
He nodded, pursing his lips before asking, “How long have you been in Felgren, Karus? What has it felt like to you?”
I took a long drink from my pouch. The truth was, I had no idea how long it felt inside of Felgren after I lost my memories. Each day had been the same as the last and I could not count time in the state I was in. I made a mental note to ask Revich someday.
“I don’t actually know. I was so lost for so long. The magic I used that night…” I shook my head and took another drink.“Revich was right. It was immensely powerful and it broke me in ways I cannot describe. I drifted each day in a haze of lost memories and time.” I shook my head again and inhaled deeply. “Revich’s love brought me back. One day, I’ll tell you the full story and you can see how much I need him.”
He took my hand and squeezed. “I believe it. You will be companions?”
“Yes. As soon as this mess is over, we are going to the ceremony right away. I won’t wait any longer.”
He nodded again and grinned. We sat along the grassy shore for a bit longer, giving the lumens their much deserved and needed rest before calling them to finish the journey.
We rode for another hour before reaching the peak of the tallest hill that rose before Hyrithia to the north. The same hill the Prince, Geyrand, and I would roll down on summer days, bruised and aching by evening.
The city expanded over a vast distance, the edges of its boundaries too far to see. Smoke rose from chimneys and the echo of voices and carriages and bustle from the largest city on the isle met us in a familiar wave of movement.
That’s what Hyrithia had always felt like. Constantly moving, bargaining, trading. The cogs of the core of the city never stopped. Even the night markets kept people busy with new inventions and the selling of wares.
I loved this city, but I had grown to love Felgren more, and I missed the tall trees and lifting breeze that filled my heart with joy.
Autumn had cast its hold on Hyrithia. The tops of the trees surrounding the city were tipped with orange, yellow, and red. The sun was setting to the west and the air felt as if it would drop to chill the grass with dew at any moment.
Revich was there.
He was in that tall castle that shone in an orange haze with the goodbye of the sun. “Rev,” I whispered to the wind, somehow hoping the sound of my voice would reach his ears.
“Remember, you have been gone for over seven years. The Queen suspects the Baron is malicious, and the Prince…well…” Geyrand pointed to the northern wall of the castle where the stone did not match the rest of the facade. “Do you see that discoloration?”
